Leitrim storm past Coláiste Bhaile Chláir to make winning start to Connacht A campaign in windy Annaduff

The wicked wind that blew down the pitch at the Leitrim Centre of Excellence on Friday evening was a clear sign that winter football had returned as Leitrim’s combined schools team secured an impressive victory over Coláiste Bhaile Chláir in the Connacht A Schools Championship.

Leitrim started the first-round game with a monstrous gale at their backs, and though there was no sun shining, they made hay, racking up a 3-10 to 1-5 lead by halftime thanks to ruthless inside forwards and some serious long-range shooting.

Leitrim showed they will be difficult to beat in this competition, with sharp attacking play and exceptional tackling all over the pitch.

It was clear from the start that it would be a physical battle, with Coláiste Bhaile Chláir’s wing-back Ethan Forde taken off with a head injury two minutes in after a clatter with Leitrim’s centre forward Senan McGowan.

Leitrim were by far the silkier football team, but they struggled at times to cope with the physicality Coláiste Bhaile Chláir displayed around the middle, as they were repeatedly turned over while trying to break quickly from defence and launch attacks.

Ronan Duggan opened the scoring for Coláiste Bhaile Chláir with a point six minutes in after linking up with corner forward Cormac Feeney.

A minute later, Leitrim showed a sign of things to come when a shot from Jack Prior came back off the post. It was gathered by Karl Gethins and fed across to Jamie Plunkett, who kept his cool in the middle of the square, quickly crowded with retreating defenders, to slot a low shot home for the first goal of the game.

That was followed instantly by Sean Kelly’s right-footed slice from the edge of the arch, giving Leitrim their first two-pointer of the game.

Jack Moolick, filling in at midfield for the missing Ronan Fox, added a second two-pointer two minutes later with a looping right-footed effort from the left side of the arch that dropped perfectly over the black spot.

McGowan fisted over another point to finish off a smooth move through the Coláiste Bhaile Chláir defence.

The gap began to open up, and Leitrim took control as a handpass inside found Jamie Plunkett in front of the Coláiste Bhaile Chláir goal. He jinked and moved, evading tackles, and showed composure to bounce the ball before passing it into the top corner.

Jack Prior slotted a tidy point from thirty metres off his right, and Jack Attard matched it soon after as Attard found him on the loop at the edge of the arch and he scored with his left.

Coláiste Bhaile Chláir struggled massively on their kickouts as Leitrim kept the press high, and Senan McGowan added another point to give them 2-7 without reply in a seven-minute period.

While everything fell Leitrim’s way in attack, Coláiste Bhaile Chláir could not get going. A free from Cormac Feeney dropped short, another from Sean O’Callaghan hit the post, and a Ronan Duggan goal chance rocketed off the bottom of the post after a lightning counterattack from a high turnover.

A Sean O’Callaghan free finally gave the visitors something to cheer about, but it was short-lived as a dropping shot from Jack Attard was palmed into the Coláiste Bhaile Chláir net by Jack Prior, who found himself isolated inside.

Then, with ten minutes remaining before halftime, Coláiste Bhaile Chláir had some luck from a long ball into the square as a kick from midfielder Mark Concannon was broken into the path of Cormac Feeney, who slotted a shot expertly past Scott Kerr in the Leitrim goal.

Jack Moolick replied with his second two-pointer of the game for Leitrim, and Coláiste Bhaile Chláir saw out the half with three unanswered points from Feeney, O’Callaghan, and Jack Kelly.

With the wind at their backs in the second half, an 11-point deficit was hardly insurmountable, and it looked like a comeback might be on in the first minute when Cormac Feeney palmed a high ball into the net.

Unfortunately for Coláiste Bhaile Chláir, it was ruled a square ball by referee Eamonn Dolan, who was called in by his umpire.

Where Leitrim had been remarkably clinical in the first half, Coláiste Bhaile Chláir continued to struggle in the second, trading wides while Scott Kerr spread himself well to deny a goal with a point-blank save.

Finally, Sean O’Callaghan scored a beautiful two-point free to get Coláiste Bhaile Chláir moving.

But once again, Leitrim responded as Jamie Plunkett rode a heavy shoulder from a Coláiste Bhaile Chláir defender inside the square and still managed to get his shot away into the bottom corner for Leitrim’s fourth goal.

The Galway men created chances but were not clinical and did not mount pressure on Leitrim when it mattered.

After a series of wides and broken attacks, Jack Kelly pointed and Sean O’Callaghan added another two-point free with ten minutes remaining.

Darragh McCabe got one back for Leitrim before O’Callaghan sent a rocket into the top corner from a tight angle for Coláiste Bhaile Chláir’s second goal.

Substitute Rabbitte added another to bring the deficit to nine points, but that was as close as they came. Plunkett linked with Leitrim substitute Charlie Slevin before finishing into the bottom corner for their sixth goal and his hat-trick.

Senan Kelly added a point with the last kick of the game to seal an impressive team win for Leitrim.

Leitrim: Scott Kerr; John McGarry; Luke Farrell; Ronan Connolly; Michael O’Grady; Evin Gilligan; Darragh Boyle; Jack Moolick; Frankie McManus; Senan McGowan; Senan Kelly; Karl Gethins; Jack Attard; Jamie Plunket; Jack Prior. Subs: Darragh McCabe for Attard (38); Charlie Slevin for O'Grady (55). Scorers: Jack Attard 1-1; Senan McGowan 0-2; Senan Kelly (0-3, 1tp) Jack Moolick (0-4,2tp); Jamie Plunkett 3-1; Jack Prior 1-1; Darragh McCabe 1-0. 

 Coláiste Bhaile Chláir: James King; Kyle Concannon; Daniel Hughes; Conor Mongey; Conor Lynn; Eoin O’Toole; Ethan Forde; Mark Concannon; Jack Cryan; Cathal Heavey; Ronan Duggan; Sean Moran; Cormac Feeney; Jack Kelly; Sean O’Callaghan. Subs: Daire McLoughlin, for Forde (4); Lonergan for Lynn (20);  Rabbitte for Mongey (30);  Conroy for McLoughlin (38); Collins for Cryan (49);  Meehan for Duggan (56). Scorers: Ronan Duggan (0-1); Sean O’Callaghan (1-6, 1f,1tp); Cormac Feeney (1-1); Jack Kelly (0-2); D. Rabbitte (0-1).

REFEREE: Eamonn Dolan (Leitrim).